Damper regulating and controlling apparatus.



A. A. ROTRU & H. G. PATTYN.

DAMPER REGULATING AND CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 6. 19!]- Patented Sept. 17, 1918.

3 SHEETSSHEET 1- A. A. ROTRU & H. G. PATTYN.

. DAMPER REGULATING AND CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

-APPL|CATION FILED SEPT. s, 1917.

1,279,447. 7 PatentedSept. 17,1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

1 F 2 If? WITNESSESI i g 0 J INVENTURSI i i Alvis Jifrmfiflmyfi 731721 21i v ATTORNEYSL;

A. A. ROTRU & H. e. PATTYN.

DAMPER REGULATING AND CONTROLLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 6, I917.

Patented Sept. 17, 1918.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

III [III III ||L r I m WITNESSES.

lUllTED ATE ATNT FFTQE.

ALOTS A. ROTRU, 0F PATERSON, AND HENRY G. PATTYN, OF BLOOMFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

DAMPER BEGULATING AND CONTROLLING APPARATITS.

emma.

To all "whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ALois A. RoTRU, a

subject of the King of Belgium, residing at Paterson, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey, and HEXRY G. PATTYN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bloomfield, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey. have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Damper Regulating and Controlling Apparatus; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. I The present invention has reference; generally: to improvementsin damper regulating and controlling means for furnaces and the like.

The invention has for its principal object to provide a novel construction of damper regulating and controlling apparatus whereby the draft damper of a furnace or the like is automatically opened when the firebox door is opened and'fresh fuel thrown into the fire-box, and then as the fuel is gradually consumed, the damper is slowly or gradually moved into closed position to check and hold the fire until fresh fuel is' again supplied. The apparatus is therefore designed to provide a full draft when coal liberated by the combustion of the fuel within the fire-box, thus preventing atoo sudden and wasteful escape of the same ur the draft fines. The novel apparatus comprising our invention consequently serves to attain an economical degree of fuel conservation, preventing waste thereof, and at the same time provides a condition under which the maximum utilization of the heat units liberated bythe burning fuel is attained.

Another object of .our present invention is t pr ide a no el m a in co n ti n-with Specification of Letters Patent.

our. novel damper regulating and controlling apparatus for regulating and varying the time allowed to bring the damper from full open to closed position. so that a fast, slow or intermediate rate of fuel combustion is possible to be arranged for in accordance with necessity or desire.

Other objects of our invention, not at this time more particularly emunerated, will be clearly understood from the following detailed description of the same.

lVith the various objects of our present invention in view, the same consists, primarily, in the novel construction of damper regulating and controlling apparatus hereinafter set forth; and the invention consists, furthermore, in the novel arrangements and combinations of the various devices and parts, as .well as in the details of the construction of the same, all of which will be more fully described in the following specification, and then finally embodied in the appended claims. I

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a face view of the front end of a furnace equipped with our novel construction of damper regulating and controlling apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a detail vertical section, taken on Patented Sept. 17, 1918.- Application filed September 6, 1917. Serial No. 189,921.

line 22 in said Fig. 1. looking in thedirection of the arrow w, said view being drawn on an enlarged scale.

' Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail face view of a. novel trip mechanism for controlling the fluid supply valve of the novel dam-per regulating and controlling apparatus, the same being shown in normal position controlling the closed condition of said fluid supply valve; and Fig. 4 is a similar View showing the same parts in position for. controlling the open condition of said fluid supply valve.

Fig. 5 is a detail plan view of a fire-box door controlled trip-setting mechanisinin position for controlling the open condlt on of said fluid supply valve when moved as 1ndicated by the dotted representation of the same.

. Fig. 6 is a central vertical longitudinal section through the cylinder and coacting parts of the device, taken at right angles to the face of the furnace, as shown in Fig. 1, looking to the right: and Fig. 7 is another central vertical longitudinal. section through upon the face of'the furnace 1 tofix said j the same parts, taken at right angles to the section of Fig. 6, looking toward the face of the furnace.

Similar characters of reference are employed in all of the above-described views, to

indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now to the said drawings, the reference character 1 indicates a furnace or the like, provided with a draft-pipe or flue 2, which communicates with the fire-box of the furnace or the likein the usual manner. Pivotally mounted within said draft-p1pe or flue 2 is a damper 3, the shaft at of which projects exteriorly from the side of said draft-pipe or flue 2. Secured upon the exterior end of said shaft 4 is a lever 5, to the upper armof which is secured one end 'of a pull-spring 6 which normally tends to pull the lever to rotate the damper to open position. Secured to the lower arm of said lever 5 is a pull-cord, chain or the like 7,

which, when pulled, tends to operate said lever againstthe tension of said pull-spring 6, and thereby to rotate the damper to closed position.

Secured in a convenient location, and preferably attached to the face of the furnace 1, adjacent to the fire-box door 8 of the latter, is a cylinder 9. Said cylinder is preferably provided with a pair of integral supporting brackets 10 which are fastened cylinder in position for operation. Said cylinder is provided with an upper annular flange 11', and a lower annular flange 12, to the latter of which issecured the bottom closing head 13, and to the former of which is secured the upper head 1%. Slidably re-; lated to the bore or chambel 15 of said cylinder 9 is a piston 16, which extends slidably downward through said upper head 14: into said cylinder. Connected withthe upper exterior end of said piston 16 is cross-head 17, to the oppositely extending arms of which'are secured downwardly extending vertical guide-rods 18 and 19, which respectively extend slidably through openings in. the upper end-flange 11 and the upl per head It, so that the same are exteriorly Secured upon the lower end of said guide.

rod 19 is a fixed collar 22 from the side of which projects outwardly a lift-lug 23. the purpose of which will subsequently appear.

The reference character 24: indicates a fluid supply pipe which leads from a source of fluid under pressure produced by gravity or otherwise. Said supply pipe 2st extends downwardly along one side of said cylinder 9, and is provided with a controlvalve 25 for opening or closing said supply pipe. The discharge end 26 of said supply pipe beyond the valve is led to the lower endof said cylinder 9 so as to communicate with the lower end ofthe bore or chamber 15 of the latter. The reference character 27 indicates a discharge pipe which communicates with the bore or chamber 15 of said cylinder 9. Connected in the line of this discharge pipe 27 is a timing discharge valve 28, the rotatable valve-plug29 of which is provided with a handle 30, by which the same may be operated. Connected with said discharge valve is a graduated scale-plate 31, and connected with said valve-plug 29 is an index finger or pointer 32 for selective registration with the graduations of said scale-plate. The

said graduations of said scale-plate divide the same preferably into five minute intervals, indicating five minutes, ten minutes. fifteen minutes, etc., elapsed time. Rotating the valve-plug 29 until the pointer or index finger 32 is registered over the fifteen minute graduation, for example, sets the discharge valve in such a degree of opening as will permit the contents ofthe cylinder" 9 to be discharged therefrom in fifteen minutes, and when the pointer or index finger 3 2 is registered with any of the other graduations, the discharge valve will be correspondingly set to permit the discharge flow through the same at a rate which will empty the cylinder in the length of time indicated by the pointer or index finger. If

desired said discharge pipe 27 maybe pro-- vided, at a point beyond said timlng discharge valve, with a shut-ofi valve 33, and

the free end of said discharge pipe may be so positioned as to vent the stream flowing therethrough into a receiving drain 34, or into. any other means for disposing ofthe used fluid.

Connected with theupper outer end. of

said piston 16 is an eye-member 35 by means of which said damper pull cord 7, above mentioned, is connected with said piston 16. Suitably located idler rollers 36 are provided to carry Said cord and operatively lead the same to its connection with the damper opcrating lever 5.

Said control valve 25 is provided with an outwardly projecting stem 37 for rotating said valve to either open or closed position,

and said valve stem has a squared end upon which is fixed a valve-lever 38. The upper" arm 39 of said valve-lever'is provided witha weight .40. Pivotally connected with the free; end of the lower arm 4L1 of said valve-lever 38 is a push-bat42, which is slidably-sup-' ported by a bracket-piece 43, the latter eing suitably located and fixed upon the face of said furnace 1. Pivotally connected with the lower arm 41 of said valve-lever 38, between said valve-stem 37 and said push-bar 42, is a latclrbar 44, provided adjacent to its free end with a laterally and outwardly extending latch-pin 45. Secured to one of said cylinder-supporting brackets is a rigid holding-plate 46 provided in its upper marginal edge with an outer catch notch 47 and an inner catch notch 48. Normally said latch-pin 45 rests in engagement with said holding-plate 46 at the outer catch notch 47 in which position the latch-bar 44 holds the valve-lever 38 in position to close the supply valve 25, and which position of said valvelever disposes said weight 40 in supported relation to a stop-post S preferably arranged upon said bracket 10. Pivotally secured upon 'said holding,plate 46 is a trip-trigger 49, the

same having a trip-finger 50 disposed in normal position beneath said inner catch-notch 48. Anchored upon said holding-plate 46 above said trip-trigger 49 is a spring 51 for said trip-finger 49. Secured to said lift-rod.

adjacent to its upper end is another collar 55 from which extends outwardly a lug 56 positioned in the path of the upward movement of the lift-lug 23 carried by said guiderod 19. s

Connected with the fire-box door 8 and H furnace 1 is a compound setting lever mechanism for operating said valve-lever 38 to open the supply valve 25 when said door 8 is opened, the same comprising a settinglever 57 pivotally connected at its inner end with a fulcrum lug 58 which is fixed upon the face of the furnace 1.- Pivetally connected with the outer endof said settinglever 57 is a link 59, the opposite end of which is pivoted to a lug 60 upon the face of said fire-box door 8.

The novel damper regulating andcontrolling apparatus above described, operates as follows W hen the fire-box door 8 is opened the setting-lever mechanism moves'to the position indicated by the dotted'lines in Fig. 5 of the drawings, and-in sodoing the setting- ,lever,57 swings against the-push-bar 42 so as to move the same l'on 'tudinally. This longitudinal thrust of said push-bar 42 is applied to the lower endof the valve-lever 38, which is thereby swung into the position indicated in 4 of the drawings. Such movement of said valve-lever 38 rotates the valve stem 37 to open the fluid supply valve 25. At the same time the latch-bar 44 is thrust forward so that the latch-pin 45 rides out of the outer catch notch 47 of the holding-platc 46, and falls into the inner catch notch 48, whereupon the valve-lever 38 is naintained in position to keep the weight 40 lifted up, and the'valve 25 in open condition. The valve 25 being thus opened, a supply of water or other fluid flows through the supply pipe 24 and into the bottom of the bore or chamber 15 of the cylinder 9. The pressure of the inflowing fluid upon the inner or lower end of the piston 16, causes the same to move .upwardly through the cylinder 9. This upward movement of the piston causes the pull cord 7 to yield, so that the spring 6 may retract the lever 5 to set or rotate the damper 3 to open position. It will thus be apparent that when the fire box door 8 is opened and fresh fuel is thrown upon the fire, the damper 3 is opened wide to provide fulldraft so that the fresh fuel quickly and thoroughly ignited. As the piston rises it carries with it the guide-rods 18 and 19. The stop-collar 21 is thus carried upward and brought into stopped relation with the upper annular flange 11 of the cylinder 9, thus arresting the upward movement of the piston 16. Just before the upward movement of the iston is thus stopped, the rising guide-rod 19 carries upwardly the .collar 22, and thus brings the lift-lug23 into lifting engagement with the lug 56 projecting from the lift-rod 52, and thereupon imparts a vertical lifting-movement to the said lift-rod, which in turn carries the lift-finger 54 into lifting engagement with the triptrigger 49. moving the latter against the latch-pin 45, whereby said latch-pin is lib- 4 erated from the inner catch notch 48 of the holding-plate 46. The latch-bar 44 is now free to move back to normal initial position, as gravity pulls down the weight 40 to initial position, so that the valve-lever 38 is moved in reverse direction to shut off the anism isreset to normal initial position.

The timing discharge valve 28 having been set to permit the charge of the wateror other fluid from the cylinder 9 within the desired time interval, the weight of the piston 16 upon the column of fluid within the cylinder gradually forces the fluid through the discharge pipe and discharge valve, thus permitting the piston to descend to normal lowcred position. In thus descending the piston exerts apull upon the pull cord 7, which is transmitted to the lever 5 whereby the damper 3 is gradually moved from open position to closed position against the tension of the spring 6, thus gradually reducing the draft as the fresh fuel is consumed Within the fire-box, and thereby conserving the fuel and heat units liberated during combustion thereof, until it is again desired to increase the draft for the ignition of a fresh supply of fuel, whereupon the above operations are repeated.

It will be apparent from the above description that the novel damper regulating and controlling apparatus is automatic in operation, and is of a simple and eficient construction and operation, so that economy of fuel consumption, and full efficient utilization of the fuel is obtained by its use.

We are aware that some changes may be made in the arrangements and combinations of the various devices and parts, as well as in the details of the construction of the same, without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the foregoing specification and as defined in the claims appended hereto.v Hence, we do not limit our" invention to the exact arrangements and combinations of the various parts as described in the foregoing specification, nor do we confine ourselves to the exact details of the construction of the said parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

We claim 1. In a device of the kind described, the combination with a furnace or the like having a fire-box door and a normally closed draft damper, of a lever for actuating said damper, means connected with said lever for opening said damper, a vertical cylinder, a piston in said cylinder, an interconnecting means between the upper free end of said piston and said lever whereby the damper is closed by the descending movement of said piston, a fluid supply pipe communicating with the lower end of said cylinder, a control valve in said supply pipe, means operated by the op'enlng of said fire-box door for openmg said control valve to admit fluid into said cylinder to raise said piston, means for holding said valve opening means in operative position, a discharge pipe leading out of said cylinder, a timing discharge valve in said dlscharge pipe for timing the descending movement of said piston, a trip mechanism for releasing said holding means to permit the return of said control valve opening means to normal initial position to close said control valve when said piston reaches the upward limit of its movement, and means connected with said piston for operating said trip mechanism.

2. In a device of the kind described, the combination with a furnace or the like having a fire-box door and a draft damper, of alever connected with said damper, spring means connected with saidlever for actuating the same to open said damper, a vertical cylinder, a piston in said cylinder, means connecting the upper end of said piston with said lever whereby the damper is closed by the descending movement of said piston, a fluid supply pipe communicating with the lower end of said cylinder, a control valve in said supply pipe adapted when opened to admit fluid into said cylinder to raise said. piston, a lever for operating said control valve, means for normally holding and re turning said lever to valve closing position, means operated by the opening of said firebox door for moving said lever to valve opening position, a discharge pipe leading out of said cylinder, at regulatable timing discharge valve in said discharge pipe for.

timing the descending movement of said piston, means for holding said fluid supply valve lever in valve opening position, a trip mechanism for releasing said holding means when said piston isfully raised, and means connected with said piston for operating said trip mechanism. a

3. lln combination with a furnace having a fire-box door, a damper having an actuating means, means connected with said actuating means for opening said damper, a vertical cylinder, a piston therein, a cord interconnecting said piston and said damper actuating means whereby said damper is closed by the descending movement of said piston, a fluid supplv pipe communicatin with the lower end of said. cylinder, a find control valve in said supply pipe, a lever for actuating said fluid control valve, a gravity means for holding and returning said lever to valve closing position, a push-bar for moving said lever to valve opening position, means connected with said fire-box door for actuating said push-bar when said door is opened, a latch mechanism for holding said lever in valve openin position, a latch holding means engageab e by said latch mechanism, a trip-trigger mechanism connected withsaid latch holding means for releasing said latch mechanism, means operated by the rising piston for actuating said trip-trigger mechanism, a fluid discharge pipe leading out of said cylinder, and a regulatable timin." discharge valve in said discharge pipe.

4:- In combination with a furnace having a fire-box door, a damper having an actuating means, means connected with said actuating means for opening said damper, a vertical cylinder, a piston therein, a cord interconnecting said piston and said damper actuating means whereby said damper is closed by the descending movement of said piston,

' connecting said amar? said push-bar When said door is opened, comprising a pivoted setting lever ada ted to engage the end of said pushbar, an a link pivoted at one end to the free end of said setting lever and at the other to said firebox door, a latch mechanism for holding said valve lever in valve opening position; a latch holding means engageable by said latch mechanism, a trip-trigger mechanism connected with said latch holding means for .releasing said latch mechanism, means operated by the rising piston for actuating said trip-trigger mechanism, a fluid discharge pipe leading out of said cylinder, and a regulatable timing discharge valve in said discharge pipe.

5. In combination with a furnace having a fire-box door, a damper having an actuating means, means connected with said actuating means for opening said damper. a vein tical cylinder, a piston therein, a cord interconnecting said piston and said damper actuating means whereby said damper is closed by the descending movement of said piston, a fluid supply pipe communicating with the lower end of said cylinder, a fluid control valve in said supply pipe, a lever for actuating said fluid control valvema gravity means for holding and returning said lever to valve closing'positiom'a push bar for moving said lever to valve opening position, means connected with said fire-box door for actuating said push-bar when said door is opened, comprising a pivoted setting lever'adapted to engage the end of said push-bar, and a link pivoted at one end to the free end of said setting lever and at the other to said fire-box door, a latch-bar pivoted to said valve lever having a latch-pin at its free end, a fixed holding-plate having a notch engageable by said latch-pin, a pivoted trip-trigger on said holding-plate adapted when moved to lift said latch-pin out of said notch and thereby release said latchbar and valve lever for return to normal position, means operated by the rising piston for actuating said trip-trigger, a fluid discharge pipe leading out of said cylinder, and a regulatable timing discharge valve in said discharge pipe.

6. In combination with a furnace having a fire-box door, a damper'havin an actuating means, means connected wit 1 said actuating means for opening said damper, avertical cylinder, a piston therein, a cord interpiston with said damper actuating means whereby said damper is closed by the descending movement of said piston, a fluid supply pipe, communicating with the lower end of said cylinder, a fluid control valve in said supply pipe, a lever for actuating said fluid control valve, a gravity means for holding and returning said lever to valve closing position, a push-bar for moving said,

lever to valve opening position, means connected with. said fire-box door for actuating said push-bar when said door is opened, a

latch-bar pivoted to said valve lever having a latch-pin at its free end, a fixed holding plate having a notch engageable by said latch-pin, a pivoted trip-trigger, on said holding-plate adapted when moved to lift said latch-pin out of said notch and thereby release said latch-bar and valve lever for return to normal position, means operated by the rising piston for actuating said triptrigger, a fluid discharge pipe leading out of said cylinder, and a regulatable timing discharge valve in said discharge pipe.

7. In combination with a furnace having a fire-box door, a damper having an actuating means, means connected with said actuating means for opening said damper, a vertical cylinder having lateral flanges at its ends, a piston therein, a cord interconnecting said piston with said damper actuating means whereby said damper is closed by the descending movement of said piston, a fluid supply pipe communicating with the lower end of said cylinder, a fluid control valve in said supply pipe. a lever for actuating said fluid control valve. a gravity means for holding and returning said lever to valve closing position. a push-bar for moving said lever to valve opening position, means connected with said fire-box door for actuating said push-bar when said door is opened, comprising a pivoted setting lever adapted to engage the end of said push-bar, and a link pivoted at one end to the free end of said setting lever and at the other end to said fire-box door, a latch-bar pivoted to said valve lever having a latch-pin at its free end, a fixed holding-plate having a notch engageable by said latch-pin, a

pivoted trip-trigger on said holding-plate adapted when moved to lift'said latch-p1n out of said notch and thereby release said latch-bar and valve lever for return to nor- 'mal position, vertical guide rods slidably related *to the sides of said cylinder and connected with the outer end of said piston, a stop on one of said guide rods adapted to engage a flange of said cylinder to arrest the upward movement of said piston, a vertical lift rod slidably related to the side of said cylinder adjacent to the other of said guide rods, a lug projecting from'said lift rod, a lift finger on said last mentioned guide rod adapted to engage said lug'with a lifting movement prior to the arresting of l the upward movement of said piston, a means onsaid lift rod for moving said triptrigger when said lift rod is raised, a fluid discharge pipe leading out of said cylinder,

and a regulatable timing discharge valve in said discharge pipe.

8. In combination wlth a furnace or the.

like having a fire-box door, a damper having an actuating means, means connected lug with piston, a fluid supply pipe communicating with the lower end of said cylinder, a fluid control valve in said supply pipe, a lever for actuating said fluid control valve, a

-gravity means for holding and returning said lever to valve closing position, a pushbar for moving said lever to valve opening position, means connected with said fire-box door for actuating said push-bar when said door; is opened, a latch-bar pivoted to said valve lever having a latch-pin at its free 'end, a fixed holding-plate having anotch engageable by said latch pin, a pivoted triptrigger on said holding-plate adapted when moved to lift said latch-pin out of said notch and thereby release said latch-bar and valve lever for return to normal position, vertical guide rods slidably related to the sides of said cylinder and connected with the outer end of said piston, a stop on one of said guide rods adapted to engage a flange of said cylinder to arrest the upward movement of said piston, a vertical lift rod slidably related to the side of said cylinder adjacent to the other of said guide rods, a lug projecting from said lift-rod, a lift finger on said last mentioned guide rod adapted to engage, said a lifting movement prior to the arresting of the upward movement of said piston, a means on said lift rod for moving said trip-trigger when said lift rod is raised, a fluid discharge pipe leading out of said cylinder, and a regulatable timing discharge valve in said discharge pipe.

9. In combination "with a furnace having. a fire-box door, a damper having an actuating means, means connected with said actuating means for opening said damper,

a vertical cylinder having lateral flanges at latch-mechanism,

aerate? its ends, a piston therein, a cord intercon nectmg said piston with said damper actuating means whereby said damper is closedby the descending movement ofsaid piston, a fluid supply pipe communicating with-the lower end of said cylinder, a fluid control valve in said supply pipe, a lever for actuating said fluid control "alve, a gravity means for holding and returning said lever to valve closing position a push-bar for moving said lever to valve opening position, means connected with said fire-box door for actuating said pushebar when-said door is opened, a latch-mechanism for holding said lever in "alve opening position, a latch holding means engageable by said latch-mechanism, a trip-trigger mechanism connected with said holding means for releasing said vertical guide rods slidably related to the sides of said cylinder and connected with the outer end of said piston, a stop on one of said guide rods adapted to engage a flange of said cylinder to arrest the upward movement of said'piston, a vertical lift rod slidably related to the side of said cylinder adjacent to the other'of said guide rods, a lug projecting from said lift rod, a lift finger on said last mentioned guide rod adapted to engagefsaidlug with a lifting movement prior to the arresting of the upward movement of said piston, a means on said lift rod for actuatin said trip-trigger mechanism when said 1i t rod is raised, a fluid discharge pipe leading out of said cylinder, and a regulat-able timing fluid discharge alve in said discharge pipe. lln testimony that we claim the invention set forth above we have hereunto set our hands this 30th day of August, 1917.

ALOllS A, RUTJRU. HENRY G. PATTYN.

Witnesses: I

Fnnnn. C. FRAENTZEL,

Fnnon. H. W. FnanN'rznL. 1

bid 

